Usually when we are sick, doctors prescribe prescriptions for drugs. But a new program in New York is asking doctors to prescribe seasonal fruits and vegetables for obese or overweight patients.
Encourage better nutrition
New York City’s “Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program” aims to give families at risk better access to healthy food.
Thus, obese or overweight patients can receive reimbursable health “tickets” to buy products on the markets of local producers. Checks are accepted in more than 140 markets in the city.
Patients in the program receive $ 1 in “health tickets” per day for each family member for at least four months. Each month, patients must go to the hospital to have their prescriptions refilled, and their weight and body mass index evaluated. They also receive nutritional advice.
Positive changes
Tammy Futch, a resident of the Bronx, says that her family has experienced positive changes since the start of the program: “My son lost 40 pounds while participating in this program, and I also lost weight with him…. I have four other children who are also participating in the program. “
The program was initiated by Wholesome Wave, a non-profit organization that bridges the gap between low-income people and fresh food. In 2011, the group piloted the program in Massachusetts, Maine, California and Rhode Island. It has now been extended to seven states. Bravo to this social initiative for the well-being of the most vulnerable families.